Title: Two dimensional location transparency of software services.Abstract: Provided are methods and systems distributing a data message to an unknown destination device across at least one spatial boundary and at least one administrative domain boundary from an originating device. The system includes at least one distributor module that exists within each administrative domain of a network through which the data message may originate, may terminate or may traverses in route from the originating device to the unknown destination device. Each administrative domain within each of a plurality of equipment platforms has at least one distributor module. The system also includes a domain bridge spanning the at least one administrative domain boundary within an equipment platform of the plurality through which the data message traverses in route to the unknown destination device. The system operates using a network discovery service whereby an advertisement is published for a specific type of data by the unknown destination device. The advertisement is promulgated throughout the network. Each distributor module in the network acts a surrogate for the unknown destination device by accepting the data and relaying it to another surrogate until it arrives at the destination device. The system allows the data to pass through both spatial and administrative barriers automatically. ...

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to computer network communications. More specifically, the subject matter described herein relates to a unified mechanism configured to facilitate computer network communications such that software services may be located across spatial domain boundaries as well as across administrative domain boundaries, nearly simultaneously.

BACKGROUND

The world today is dependent on the use of internetworks to receive and disseminate information around the globe to those that need or want the information. The conventional means for directing this information between communicants is via of an internet protocol (“IP”) that defines the rules for packaging intranetwork and internetwork data traffic into IP datagrams. The IP further defines the rules for moving these IP datagrams across spatial boundaries utilizing an IP address for delivery. Each network that is connected to an internetwork (e.g. the “Internet”) is identified by a unique IP address or a block of IP addresses.

To communicate a datagram between networks that are either logically or physically separated on a network, a source computing device compiles a structured datagram that is addressed to a specific destination host computing device. The source computing device and the destination computing device each has its own unique IP address so that they may be found on the internetwork in order to receive the datagram and to identify the sender. In other words, a known destination address is necessary for a data transmission to occur.

After compiling the datagram, the source host encapsulates the IP datagram into a network frame and sends the network frame to a local default router, which then opens up the frame and reads the IP datagram. The router reads the diagram's destination IP address to determine if the destination address resides within its own local network or elsewhere. If the destination IP address is located elsewhere, the default router re-encapsulates the datagram and forwards it to another router in another network associated with the destination IP address based on a list of destination addresses listed in a routing table. In a repetitive fashion, the datagram is then forwarded (i.e. hopped) from one network router to another based on each successive router's routing table until the destination address is ultimately reached. It is therefore a fundamental operating principle in network communications that a datagram destination is known, although the exact path through the network may or may not be known.

A datagram destination is usually located by referring to a routing table. A routing table is a list of IP addresses that identifies each destination host computing device and each router that is known to a network computing device. There are several types of routing tables in use within an internetwork. However, a common feature of each is that they operate by looking up a destination IP address from a list of known IP addresses. The routing table provides a router with the IP address of the next best destination to which the datagram is to be sent. Therefore, if a computing node on the network is physically or electronically altered, routing tables listing that node are no longer correct and must be recompiled to reflect the change in the network topology. Routing tables may be updated using methods known in the art, such as polling next hop nodes for information or broadcasting a request for all computing nodes that are listening in the internetwork to provide their IP addresses, etc.

The destination host computing device receives IP datagrams by “listening” on the network for those datagrams addressed to it or addressed to a device residing in its local network. In some local networks, this host computing device is known as a gateway or a gateway server. When a recognized datagram is received, it is de-multiplexed and executed, or forwarded. Typically, the destination host computing device is, or incorporates, a fire wall or some other type of security hardware or software barrier to prevent unauthorized or malicious access to the local network beyond the firewall.

When being communicated to a remote gateway over the network, an IP datagram may encounter several different layers of security that deny access to higher administrative domains that may be located behind the gateway. A password, pass code, hash or some other type of security key is needed by the datagram to proceed up the chain of authorization to either deliver or to access information at the higher security/authorization domain.

A common example of a remote multi-domain environment may be the website of a bank. Being a business, anybody may access the unguarded home page of the bank's website, which may contain advertisements, contact telephone numbers, and other information of a public nature. However, to access a specific account, a security boundary must be passed that usually requires a special dataset be presented. To proceed even further into the bank's network or to access other functions, additional security boundaries must be passed using other access means. These security boundaries may be traversed by negotiating with a “cross domain guard” (“CDG”) or other type of firewall. However, unless one knows that the upper security levels exist and how to reach them, applications and data residing there remain hidden from a user or from access by a datagram.

Therefore, in instances where a multi-layer security domains exist within a specific network, a datagram must first be communicated across a spatial domain barrier to a known IP address and then work its way up through a number of administrative domain barriers until the correct destination domain may be communicated with (i.e. receive data or provide data). Further, multiple iterations of data communications may be required to accomplish both a spatial and an administrative domain traversal. As such, there is a need for methods and systems to communicate automatically with computing entities across both spatial and administrative boundaries automatically and substantially simultaneously.

BRIEF

SUMMARY

It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of non-limiting concepts. The embodiments disclosed herein are exemplary as the combinations and permutations of various features of the subject matter disclosed herein are voluminous. The discussion herein is limited for the sake of clarity and brevity.

A system is provided for distributing a data message to an unknown destination device across at least one spatial boundary and at least one administrative domain boundary from an originating device. The system includes one distributor module of a plurality of distributor modules that is resident within each administrative domain through which the data message originates, terminates and traverses in route from the originating device to the unknown destination device, wherein there is at least one administrative domain within each of a plurality of equipment platforms. The system also includes a domain bridge spanning the at least one administrative domain boundary within an equipment platform of the plurality through which the data message traverses in route to the unknown destination device. A means is also provided for discovering an advertisement for the data message that is published by a distributor module that is spatially distant from the administrative domain in which the data message exists.

A method is provided for distributing a data message from an originating computing device to an unknown destination device across at least one spatial boundary and at least one administrative domain boundary. The method includes the steps of receiving a data message from the originating computing device and discovering an advertisement published in a local area network (LAN) directory advertising that a device is a local processor for the data message. If a LAN advertisement is found in the LAN directory, then delivering the data message to the local processor. If an LAN advertisement is not found in the LAN directory, then discovering an advertisement published in a wide area network (WAN) directory advertising that a remote device is a surrogate distributor module for the data message from the originating computing device and then delivering the message to the advertising surrogate distributor module.

A computer readable storage medium is provided for that contains instructions that when executed perform various functions. Those functions include receive a data message from the originating computing device and discover an advertisement published in a LAN directory advertising that a device is a local processor for the data message from the originating computing device. If the advertisement published in the LAN directory is found, then deliver the data message to the local processor. If the advertisement published in a LAN directory is not found, then discover an advertisement published in a WAN directory that a remote device is a surrogate distributor module for the data message from the originating computing device and then deliver the message to the advertising distributor module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure is directed to systems and methods that provide a means to automatically deliver data to an unknown software service (i.e. an application module) that may be remote from a transmitting computing device both spatially and administratively. The systems and methods herein also allow for a dynamic network topology reconfiguration without having to regenerate or reconfigure routing tables.

The subject matter now will be described more fully below with reference to the attached drawings which are illustrative of various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. Like numbers refer to like objects throughout the following disclosure. The attached drawings have been simplified to clarify the understanding of the systems, devices and methods disclosed. The subject matter may be embodied in a variety of forms. The exemplary configurations and descriptions, infra, are provided to more fully convey the subject matter disclosed herein.

The subject matter herein will be generally disclosed in the context of a network that links a number of equipment platforms. Non-limiting examples of equipment platforms in which the subject matter herein below may be applied includes hand held communication devices, industrial facilities, aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft and terrestrial motorized vehicles. Without limitation, terrestrial motor vehicles may also include military combat and support vehicles of any description. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure herein below that the subject matter contained therein is similarly applicable to a plethora of other equipment platforms, equipment types, networks and internetworks.

Each equipment platform includes one or more computing devices wherein the computing devices populate one or more distinct administrative domains within each platform. The administrative domains maybe separated logically within a common hardware device, but may also comprise segregated hardware, firmware and/or software as may be found useful.

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20110505|20110103383|two dimensional location transparency of software services|Provided are methods and systems distributing a data message to an unknown destination device across at least one spatial boundary and at least one administrative domain boundary from an originating device. The system includes at least one distributor module that exists within each administrative domain of a network through which |Honeywell-International-Inc